engine problems

1. giomaddogg Newbie Joined: Aug 2006 Scotland Posts: 23 Saxo 1.4 Westcoast

   #1 6th June 2007, 20:00

   just wondering if anyone can help, my engine is playing up a bit, it sounds like it's running on 3 cylinders(1999 1.4 westy) and is seriously lacking power, on the odd time when you stop at a roundabout/lights etc the engine will cut out.
   When it started doing it at first, when you put your foot down it seemed to clear it's self but know it does it all the time, I had the coil pack and spark plugs changed but didn't make any difference to it, does anyone else know what may be causing the engine to do this???
2. Scattle Saxperience Addict Joined: Jan 2007 Benfleet, Essex Posts: 10834 Megane 225 Cup

   #2 6th June 2007, 20:03

   Does the Revs go up and hardly any speed?, on my dads Supra recently he had this where he would stop at a junction/roundabout then pull off and nothing just stay at idle, and couldn't go anywhere. The problem he found was a dodgy pipe from the Fuel pump was torn and leaking petrol meaning it wasn't getting to the engine. This may or may not be the problem.
   
   Hope it helps.
3. giomaddogg Newbie Joined: Aug 2006 Scotland Posts: 23 Saxo 1.4 Westcoast

   #3 6th June 2007, 20:10

   yeah mate sometimes when sitting at idle the revs will start dropping to the point where the car nearly stalls, the lack of power is terrible for example on the way home from work when the car was running fine there is a hill that the car can take in 4th gear, but now i've gotta drop it into 2nd and it struggles to make it up
4. Scattle Saxperience Addict Joined: Jan 2007 Benfleet, Essex Posts: 10834 Megane 225 Cup

   #4 6th June 2007, 20:12

   Sounds a bit dodgy, don't know what's going on there I am afraid sounds like your losing some serious power. But where from?...
5. giomaddogg Newbie Joined: Aug 2006 Scotland Posts: 23 Saxo 1.4 Westcoast

   #5 6th June 2007, 20:15

   yeah mate a know, a had my local garage check it out and they couldn't find what was wrong with it either
6. jablitt Frequent Poster Joined: Mar 2006 leciester United Kingdom (England) Posts: 720 Westie, Clio 172

   #6 8th June 2007, 23:45

   i'm having a very similar problem but not quite as bad as your westy. mine is a 1999 westcoast as well!!
   
   i've tried changing the spark plugs, changing the fuel filter, i re fitted my sump with a new seal because it was leaking a fair amount of oil before. i think the next step is to change the fuel filter and maybe change the coil pack to see if this resolves the problem!
7. jablitt Frequent Poster Joined: Mar 2006 leciester United Kingdom (England) Posts: 720 Westie, Clio 172

   #7 8th June 2007, 23:46

   by the way, did you get a compression test when the garage checked it out to see if it was the piston rings or something??
8. MaRiO89 Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7705 Saxo VTS

   #8 9th June 2007, 00:15

   I had the same prob, was the coilpack..
   
   Also on a westy!
   
   Only prob i have had.
9. raunchz Saxperience Addict Joined: Jul 2005 Solihull / Bournemouth Posts: 14233 2015 Lapiz Blue Golf R

   #9 9th June 2007, 18:26

   Just a suggestion.....When i did changed the headgasket on my westcoast and started it back up again it sounded like it was running on 3 cylinders - ended up taking the injectors out, cleaning them up and putting them back in and ran perfectly.
   
   Might be worth a try as it's free to do (although I think it's recommended to change the 'O' rings, but they should cost pennies)
10. Strikevts Established Member Joined: Jan 2007 Uttoxeter Posts: 1519 Mk2 Cammed VTS

    #10 9th June 2007, 18:50

    My old fezzy did this, replace leads,coil pack, spark plugs. Then it was fine
    
    Untill the bottem end blew lol
11. stevcatristicas Infrequent Poster Joined: Jun 2007 Leiria/Portugal Posts: 127 Citroën Saxo 1.1i SX MK1 1999 Citr

    #11 9th June 2007, 22:07

    If you have changed the sparkplugs, and the coil pack, it may be various things… You can test your self if is a problem in ignition system:
    A- Get a sparkplug similar to the ones in your car.
    B- Remove the wire of the 1st cylinder
    C- Connect the sparkplug from point A to the wire
    D- hold the sparkplug with a pliers and connect it to the car ground (for example the exhaust manifold)
    E- Ask someone to start the car.
    F- See if there is a spark in the sparkplug
    G- Do the same to the others cylinders
    
    If all cylinders have spark, is not a problem form ignition system. Now, it may be a compression problem. If so, you have to go to a workshop to do the test for you.
    
    Like Manutd1808 said it can be also a weak delivery of fuel. If so, if can be from the injectors or from the pipes that deliver it to the injectors.
    
    It can also be a lick of water entering a cylinder. This is very easy to see:
    A- With the engine no running, you can verify if the water of the radiator is always with the same level.
    B- With the engine running, you can see if the water in the radiator is bubbling
    C- With the engine running, you can catch a cold glass (put one on the fridge for example) and put it in the exhaust pipe for 1 minute or less to see if there is any water in the deep of the glass.
    
    Now I don’t know more what can be and how to test it… hope this help.
12. giomaddogg Newbie Joined: Aug 2006 Scotland Posts: 23 Saxo 1.4 Westcoast

    #12 11th June 2007, 14:23

    cheers for advice troops, the car is away into another garage to get fixed(hopefully) so once a get it back i'll let you know what exactly was wrong with it